Anyone regularly forced to travel along the A65 will know just how terrible the road can be. The ten-mile stretch between Guiseley and Leeds is well known for its numerous black spots and the problems aren't confined to rush hour.

New developments along its path are frequently announced and always heavily contested on the grounds of the A65's congestion and the strain on local infrastructure. Today, plans to construct 550 new homes on the former Clariant and Riverside Mills site look set to be declined for these very reasons.

However, in a large city such as Leeds, progress is inevitable with affluent areas along the road's corridor, such as Horsforth, Guiseley and Ilkley, a prime target for developers. Watered-down versions often scrape through on appeal and steadily add to the problem, so rather than forever trying to fight a losing battle it's time to employ a long-term robust solution.

Solving the problem of the A65 isn't easy, though. Much of it runs through densely populated areas making significant widening schemes difficult. That said the Kirkstall Road area is currently being upgraded to incorporate bus lanes as part of Metro's £22m Quality Bus Corridor scheme.

I'm very cynical as to the benefits this project will have on overall congestion. As previously stated, the road runs through some of the more affluent areas of the city where it's unlikely that people will be inclined to give up their cars in favour of buses, even if they could shave off a few minutes from their daily commutes. Rather than introduce a lane restricted to buses, how about opening it up to car sharing, as in other parts of the city? Surely in some cases it would be better to just accept the reality of car use.

New bypass next to A65?

Another idea would be to build a brand new bypass adjacent to the A65 along the River Aire green belt. Undoubtedly a very controversial plan but I believe it makes sense on several levels.

Firstly, it would divert traffic away from both the A65 and A657 meaning quieter roads for residents of Horsforth, Calverley, Rodley and Yeadon, to name a few.

Secondly, the road could be joined up to the existing Bingley Bypass, creating an almost unbroken arterial route through the clogged suburbs of North Bradford and North West Leeds. And thirdly, it could also be connected up to Leeds Bradford Airport which currently suffers from dire transport links.

However, my anti-public transport sentiments do not extend as far as what is possibly the A65's greatest asset and what I believe has to be one of the best solutions to its chronic congestion problems - the modern, quick, efficient Wharfedale Line.

Trains are much more likely to get people to give up their cars and the increase in passenger numbers on the line in the past two decades indicate its huge potential. However, along with many other rail routes into the city, the line has long reached saturation point, with Metro no longer even advertising for new users.

Train overcrowding

I'm certain that there are a huge number of people whom would commute by train but are put off by issues such as overcrowding and lack of a local station - perfectly valid points in my eyes. Trains are packed even before reaching Guiseley in a morning and you may have had to abort using the train altogether through lack of a parking space.

The Wharfedale line desperately needs more carriages, more stations and longer platforms – a long and expensive wish list maybe, but surely their benefits more than outweigh the costs and how long before they pay for themselves through greater ridership? Does supply and demand not apply to railways?

MPs and other representative bodies must continue piling the pressure upon the government to divert their transport spending away from the South East. Plans for new stations at Apperley Bridge and Kirkstall Forge are a positive step forward but their funding is far from secure, and with several other deserving sites along the line and in other parts of the city, there's still a long way to go.

Guest blogger Thomas Harvey is a freelance graphic designer and blogger based in Leeds.